In this interview with translator Brian Simmons we cover these questions and topics:
Is the Bible’s trustworthy? Brians Testimony and Encounter with Jesus! What does it mean that God is Love? What is the meaning of the Revealing of the Sons of God in Romans 8? End times and Prophecy perspectives? How important is it to marinate our minds in the Word of God?
I am currently working on a book about Encounters With Jesus and His Love and so it is a real treat to hear about Brians Divine visitation. I am delighted that he agreed to allow me to publish his story in my book!
Brian came to trust in Jesus in 1971. Brian then married and he and his wife became career missionaries. He planted churches and worked alongside Wycliffe translators serving the Piacuna people group. God directed them through an audible voice back to the United States just prior to a hostile takeover of the village. Sadly, the men Brian had put in place to lead the church were murdered.
Brian and his wife moved to New England where they pastored a church for eighteen years. When the Lord eventually led them to hand over leadership of the church, Brian then asked the Lord, “What do you want me to do next?”
God answered his request with a Divine visitation. Jesus appeared to Brian and commissioned him for the work of making the Passion Translation. He told him he would help him and share secrets with him (we talk more about this in the interview) and that persecution would come.
Watch the Youtube interview or download the podcast and enjoy this powerful testimony for yourself!
You have to watch the video below. It is of my friend Nathan Wheeler. I have been following his story over the past year as he has shared his testimony through videos on Youtube. He is one of a kind. I have never heard someone be so real and share so openly the truth of all he has experienced of God and his search for God in his life. He has had a heart problem for awhile now and over a year ago he died for a short time from his heart condition while in the hospital and was in heaven for what seemed like a half hour or so. He was instructed by four angels to share what he calls his testimonial. It soon became my favorite “TV show”. (I blogged about this HERE)
In his testimonial he talks about his interactions and relationship with God from a very young age. He was terrified of death and was seeking a way to avoid that. As a young boy he attended a “straight-laced everything in its place suit and tie” church and wasn’t convinced they had anything worth having. You all know what I’m talking about. Hypocrisy. People never even reading this book that they claim is God’s Word. Lack of excitement and enthusiasm and joy. Boring, dry, driven by sense of duty and obligation church.
His search led him to plumb the depths of other religions in search of God and the truth and a way to avoid death. He discarded those religions in which he could spot fundamental flaws in like Mormonism and Islam and some of the other whacked religions. His search led him to explore Buddhism because Buddha didn’t claim to be God and it promised enlightenment which he believed could be a way to avoid death, until he plumbed its depths to the point where the local Buddhist monastery wanted him to come and teach them! He came to realize it was empty. He then explored New Age and Toltec shamanism and plumbed its depths until he realized they were a magicians trick to deceive and manipulate and control. He finally found Christ (even though he had experienced him powerfully on an earlier occasion) in video 8 of his series. On the verge of tears he said that his experience of the love of Jesus so far out shined anything, any joy that life had to offer, or any other mystical spiritual experience he had ever had in his entire life!
Nathan was just in the hospital with a blood clot in his neck. If the blood clot moves, he dies. He has internal bleeding from some kidney stones and had just filmed the following video with what may very well be his last days on this planet. Please stop right now to pray for him and then listen to his encouragement and challenge here:
Will you join me in this challenge to publicly share your faith, your story with the world? I am going to start to film and share my story – my experiences and encounters with God. Will you make this idea of sharing your faith as viral as an ice bucket challenge? Will someone help me out here and repackage this challenge so that more people will actually do this?
“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 (NLT)
ps. If you want to watch Nathan Wheelers testimonial visit HERE (I suggest picking it up in video 8 if you don’t have the interest or time to go through his entire journey. I understand, you have other shows that require your attention.)
A word from Nathan:
It’s time we start telling people about all the ways He has blessed us and brought us onto our faith!
The enemy wants to silence those who share the Joy of the Lord. We must not let fear, illness, age, gender, race, profession, or the sins we struggle with to keep us silent any more. If you are a “believer” you have two things you are joyously obligated to do…
1) Share the good word and baptize in the Name Yeshua Ha’Mashiach. (Jesus the Messiah)
2) Tell your testimony of what God has done in your life. If your saved but weren’t always a believer, tell people the things that made you believe. If you’ve always believed then tell people why you continue to believe regardless of life struggles. If you weren’t always walking right and then got right with the Lord… tell people what changed. This is how other people will grow in God and believe.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing alone… if you allow the devil to keep you silent, how will other believe?
The struggle is real… the blessings of His Truth are too. See both in this video.
Thank you and please share this if it blesses you.
Daniel Lovett 